Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has imposed temporary operational suspensions on 190 mining companies for failing to meet environmental obligations by providing reclamation and post-mining guarantees, according to an official sanction letter on September 18.

The sanctions, signed by Director General of Minerals and Coal Tri Winarno on behalf of the ESDM, come after inactive responses to three previous administrative warnings on December 10, 2024, May 16, 2025, and August 5, 2025.

Government Regulation No. 78 of 2010 and Ministerial Regulation No. 26 of 2018 require mining permit holders to secure environmental guarantees before conducting operations.

The affected companies are located across regions including East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Southeast Sulawesi, Bangka Belitung, West Nusa Tenggara, and North Maluku.

The suspension, effective immediately, will be automatically lifted if the companies immediately submit reclamation plan documents and place a reclamation guarantee through 2025, the letter stated.

During the suspension period, which can last up to 60 days, companies must continue mine management and environmental protection activities in their permit areas.

The Director General warned that failure to comply with the deadline could result in permanent revocation of business permits.

This is the government's commitment to enforcing reclamation regulations for the sake of environmental sustainability and mining safety, according to Tri Winarno.